Abner mcomber



@nitrh gisten @anni @fnf AB'NEVR MCOMB'ER, O F SCHENEGTADY, NEW YORK.l

I Letters Patent No. 71,197, dated November 19, 1867.

' IMPROVEMENT In AETIEIGIAL LEe's.

TO A LL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN:

Be it known that I, ABNER MeOMnnR, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented an Improved Artificial Leg; and I do hereby declareithe following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which v i Figure 1 is a view of one side of an artiiieial leg, having the improvement applied to it.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the lower leg and the foot, showing the construction of the ankle-joint and toc-joint.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the ankle and toe-joints, showing the leg inclined backward and the foot in a horizontal position.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the lower section of the leg and the foot, taken in the vertical plane indicated by red line :t a: in g. 1.

This invention relates to an improved mode of constructing the ankle and toe-joints of artieial legs, whereby great strength and durability are obtained, and a free, natural inclination of said joints allowed without complication of parts.

The nature of my invention consists in tting the foot-section to the lower leg-section, bymeans of a ball and socket, and in connecting these parts together by a pivot-joint extending transversely across the ankle, and also by elastic and non-elastic straps, which are attached to the foot-section, and to a pin passing longitudinally through the ankle above the pivot-joint, and which operate to keep the foot in a normal position, and allow it to accommodate itself to the movements required of it in walking, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation. i

The leg which I have represented in the drawings is constructed with a thigh-section, A, for receiving a stump of a leg which is aroputated` above the knee-joint, but this upper section may be omitted for stumps of legs which are amputated below the knee-joint. When said thigh-section is used, it is connected to the lower leg-section B, by means of metal rods a b, which are jointed together by a rule-joint, as shown at c, in gs. 1 and 2, so as to allow a lcxure of the lower leg backward, but not too far forward. The cord-attachment el, at 'the back of the knee-joint, is designed for allowing a person to adjust the throw of the leg to his own conven-A ience. The lower leg-'section B, which may be made of wood, or other suitable substance, terminates at its lower end or ankle in a rounded surface, which forms what I shall denominate a ball, as shown at c' e, figs. 2, 3, 4. This ball or halt' ball e is fitted into a socket, ff, of corresponding form, somewhat, which is made in the upper part ofthe foot-section C, as shown in iigs. 2, 3, and 4. This forms a ball-and-soeket or universaljoint, which will allow the foot-section to have all the movements required of'it. The end ofthe leg-section B is chambered ont, so as to have a central laterally and longitudinally ilaring recess, g, and two recesses 't L of a correspontb ing flaring form, as shown in the drawings. The central hole or recess g is designed for receiving an eye-bolt, D, which passes down through the foot C, and receives a nut, z, on its lower end, and which receives transverse'ly through its eye a pin -or stud, y'. The front recess or hole h receives through it a rod, 7c, which is secured at its upper end to the longitudinal pin E, and at its lower end to a band of India rubber, Z. The rear recess or hole h receives in it a strong strap or flexible rod, m, which is secured firmly to the heel of the foot-seetion, and also connected to the pin E, as shown in iigs. 2 and 3.

By means ofthe nut z', on the lower end ofthe eye-bolt D, theyball e on the footesvecticn is drawn to its seat, and held with proper iirmncss, so that the t'wo sections B and C will articulate about the axis of pivot j, indicated in ig. 3, which axis is concentric to the longitudinal curveof the ball and socket, as shown in figs. 2 and 3. There is also allowed a lateral motion to the foot and leg, by the lateral enlargement of the recess g, which receives the bolt D. I v

The proper position of the foot is always obtained by the use of the India-rubber strap Z, which, being eonnected to the longitudinal pin E by the rod 7e, will be stretched or extended when the toc or front part of Athe foot. is depressed, and then7 uponeleasing the pressure upon the foot, this spring Z will contract and return the foot to its normal position, as shown in tig. 2. In'rcnr ot' the pivoteconnecting bolt D is the ilexible but nonelastic strap m, which is designed for holding up the hcelegoinst the elastic force of the spring Z, and thereby preventing the front part of the foot from beinr drawn too high by said spring. This spring Zisettziehed to o. pin, u, which is arranged in a. recess at or near the sole of tllefoot, :is shown in figs. 2 and 3.

The toe secticn G of the foot is pivoted by a strap and pivotal connection, as indicated in iig. 2, in dotted lines, and licld in a natural position, shown in this last-nnnlcd figure, by the combined action of a. spring, j), and flexible construction 7'. The springp is :L Ilot one, and it is secured in recesses which are made into the sole of .the foot and toesections, so as to lic flat therein. The connection r forms o. covering for the u ppcr portion of the joint, and holds the toes up to their proper position.

Having described my invention,V wlmtI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pctentris- 1. In cn articial leg, having a ball-and-socket joint such as described and shown, I clai bolt D arranged as shown, in combination with the pin j, ba stantinlly in the manner iindfortlie purpose described.

2. In an. artificial leg7 having a ball-zind-socket joint such of the bolt D, strap m, and rod 7c, in recesses j L L the ankle, as herein described.

m the central eyer E, iiexible strap m, rod le, and spring l, all subas described and shown, I cla-iin the arrangement ,'whicli allow :L lateral as well as a. vertical articulation of ABNER yMcoMnnn.

Witnesses JOHN P. SNYbER, PETER GHRISTER. 

